Nightmare in Bandipur - Part 3 : Leopards on the prowl

26th January, 2015

Link to previous post here

The reason I was in Bandipur this trip was Republic Day. Sometimes there is a suspicion about who is more excited about a school holiday that falls outside of the usual vacation seasons. Since my son insists on 100% attendance at school, I make use of every little opportunity to run off into the jungles.

Pic Courtesy: Skandapoorvaja

Handicapped as I was, the morning of 26th January held little interest for me. The damaged 300mm still weighed on me and I was in two minds whether to go on the morning safari. The previous evening's leopard notwithstanding, I was loathe to go with without my favourite lens.

Finally, not wanting to waste an opportunity to just bump around my favourite tiger reserve, I clambered into the vehicle. Morning safaris were usually quiet affairs as the larger mammals and the predators would become active only as the sun came up. It was winter and there was a nip in the air, we pulled our headgears down to cover our ears and hunkered down for what we though would be a cold and uncomfortable drive.

An hour into the drive we saw another vehicle pulled up ahead of us. There was, apparently, a leopard in the bushes and it would probably cross the track! Our driver thought he was a clever bloke and said it would come out on the track that branched off, a little behind where we had stopped. So he backed up to the previous junction to cover both tracks.

Suddenly the folks in the vehicle ahead of us jumped up and started clicking furiously. By the time our driver got us back to the original point the leopard had decided to go deeper into the forest rather than cross the track in front of two vehicle load of crazy humans!

Skanda managed to get a few face on shots, like the one above, but me? I never got anything as nice!

If I had stayed back brooding over my loss I would have missed this. It seems Bandipur was compensating!

I was still not used to the fact that I was holding a zoom instead of a prime. Using the zoom ring and in-body tele-converter was taking a little bit of effort and some jiggling of my memory. I'd have to get used to it unless something totally unexpected happened!

Juvenile crested serpent eagle

White eyed buzzard

White eyed buzzard

The Kabini trip report is pending and hopefully it will be up next weekend. Between this trip and the one to Kabini I was lying low. The damage to my Zuiko 300mm f 2.8 was still not off my mind. Apparently it had to go to the Tatsuno facility in Japan for repairs and the service center in India was having problems sending it. Then something unexpected happened!

My Kabini trip with my new 'girfriend will be up shortly! Watch this space. I will update it before my upcoming trip to Bandipur and Masinagudi later this month.

Happy Woodcrawling.............

Nightmare in Bandipur - Part 2 : E-M1 finds a Leopard!

25th January, 2015

Link to the previous post here

How I passed the night of the 24th January I will never know, but it was a really long, restless one. A photographic catastrophe is something that cannot be put in a few words. Your best lens is like your girlfriend! You are so smitten by her that you take her for granted and when she leaves you in the lurch rather unexpectedly, it is a truly deflating experience! I'm sure no one will disagree on that count!

My Photographic Journey has been an interesting one and the the high point was the day I got my 'girlfriend', the Zuiko 300mm f2.8. That was sometime in December of 2011. It was the best 300mm f2.8 anywhere by any manufacturer and  Olympus' Zuiko lenses are legendary for their rendition of colours. So when my lens broke, I was shell shocked.

Luckily, I had carried my Zuiko 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 SWD another rugged lens that was doing duty before the 300mm  came. It had itself suffered a breakage on a trip to Nagarahole in the summer of 2012. From that experience I had learned that getting these fine lenses repaired, meant shipping them to Singapore or Japan, because Tatsuno did not trust them in anyone else's hands!

I had somehow managed to remove the broken mount ring of the 300mm from the E-M1 and with a prayer I mounted the Zuiko 50-200mm SWD. It worked! So I was not totally handicapped after all. With the digital 2x teleconvertor in the E-M1 I had a 100-400 f 2.8-3.5 now. It would never replace my favourite 'girlfriend' but at least I had a new mate for the E-M1. My previous trip was in December, just before Christmas and for just a day. That was because I had got my E-M1 and wanted to test it out in the field. There were not many photo opportunities because it was raining and I was on a one day trip.

I never knew God's were kind to sad people! The morning safari was all about birds and a lone tusker. The Zuiko 50-200mm SWD was doing a reasonably good job but it would never replace a 300mm f.2.8.

A hoopoe looking for snacks in burnt grass

Streak throated woodpecker (female)

Brahminy starling

Langur with her little one

Tusker

The evening drive was monotonously uninteresting. Forests have never ceased to amaze me in any season but this was an unusual trip. I had lost my 'girlfriend' and I was in depression. It was around 5.00 PM, half way through the safari and we were waiting outside the anti-poaching camp because someone wanted to answer the call of nature!

Suddenly, behind us, appeared a Duster! We backed up to stop them and ask how they got in and our driver realized that one of then was some forest official.

They seemed to be looking at something to their right and when we looked in that direction this is what we saw! A leopard slinking across the track!

It all happened so fast and in a moving vehicle, I did not have time to react. The leopard disappeared into the lantana.

We raced back to our position in front of the anti-poaching camp. There was a waterhole in front of it and the leopard was obviously making a beeline for it! The adrenaline rush that accompanies the sight of a predator is something that defies description. My fiasco of the previous day was forgotten and I only had eyes for a magnificent creature that would make its appearance any moment now!

A few minutes of anxious waiting and a head popped out of the undergrowth.

 It looked around, up into a tree, at us and at the waterhole.

Then decided that this was not a place to be in and walked off into a nullah and disappeared.

For an evening without even a gaur or elephant, this was a bonus. As the excitement settled and we started on our drive back I was reviewing the photos. I suddenly realized that the leopard appeared too small!

I had completely forgotten that I had a different lens attached to my camera and I had not zoomed in! I had shot at around 125 mm and also failed to use the 2x digital converter! A slight disappointment but something I'd have to get used to till my 300mm was repaired.

That was not the last of the leopards on this trip. Watch this space.....

The Aftermath of an Elephant Attack - Part 1 : Behaviour Guidelines for the Wilderness visitors

On 21st January the unthinkable happened in Gavi. Two over enthusiastic tourists fell victim to the anger of an upset herd of elephants!

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Before I go further watch this video shot by a set of foolhardy young men exhibiting their testosterone levels! Then, watch this man do something very incredible, though I personally wouldn't recommend this strategy unless you have a large insurance and a high threshold for pain in the event the elephant really decided to take you to the cleaners!

While it is easy to pin the blame on the elephant for the Gavi tragedy, it will be better to introspect first. Forests are shrinking by the hour and there is no space for the wildlife. If the recent tiger census figures are to be believed we'll soon be encountering them in our backyards too.

Who is to blame for this? Unscrupulous developers, greedy politicians, timber mafia, poachers, the tourism industry or toothless government policies? It is hard to pin the blame on a particular group but every one has contribution to make when an incident like this happens.

Gavi is a hidden gem. Mind you, I've never been there yet and looks like I might not make if the forest department decides to enforce restrictions. Gavi made it into public view in Kerala after a Malayalam movie was shot in that area. The movie was a hit and public wanted access. The government decided to promote it like any other tourist spot. I've never been there yet so I'm not qualified to comment on the current scenario but I'm sure it is vastly different from what it was a few years ago.

I'll leave my comment on Gavi and proceed to what I really want to say. How to behave in a wilderness area so you will be safe and the wildlife too. I have been holidaying almost exclusively in such places for more than a decade. Not for me are the concrete jungles and the colourful, vibrant malls. My colours are very restricted. They are confined to a many shades of green and few shades of brown and khaki. Where else but in a forest can I find these colours? As for why I prefer the jungles, ask me if you are interested. The purpose of this post is to help you avoid an unhappy or fatal encounter.

Wilderness tourism or eco-tourism as it is euphemistically called is now, is being promoted as an alternative to regular tourist circuits. During peak holiday season tourist hot spots overflow but since most wild life sanctuaries and national parks have restrictions on the number of visitors and timings for visits you have a more relaxed holiday! However, if you really want to enjoy such places there are a lot of things to keep in mind.

Driving inside a wildlife sanctuary
The unfortunate thing about progress is that our forest have shrunk so drastically. The last of these islands of wilderness struggle to cope with encroachment from all sides. They are, in some places, criss-crossed by highways connecting important towns. During the holidays and weekends traffic flow through these highways are extraordinarily heavy. There are some rules to be followed when you drive through forest areas.

1. Restrict you speed to 40 kmph or less. Enjoy the drive and ensure you are not responsible for a roadkill due to reckless driving.
2. Don't honk unnecessarily and try to overtake the vehicle ahead. 
3. Don't play loud music. Enjoy the sounds of the forest.
4. Don't drink and drive. Your reflexes are slowed and judgement is poor.
5. Don't stop and get out of your vehicle in a wildlife area. You are endangering yourself. 
6. Don't feed wild animals especially the monkeys and deer. They are prone to get bolder and may eventually end up under a vehicles tyres in their excitement.
7. Don't throw litter, especially plastic waste. A banana or orange peel will degrade but plastic will degrade the environment. 
8. DO NOT SMOKE. A carelessly thrown cigarette butt can start a forest fire that can destroy a whole forest.
9. Don't stop for picnics or to answer nature's calls. There are designated areas near the park reception centers for eating food, disposing waste and toilet facilities. 
10. Adhere to timings and don't argue at the check post. Many wild life sanctuaries restrict vehicle movement from dusk to dawn. Respect the rules and the right of the animals.

The following photos are mostly from Bandipur taken during holiday seasons. We Indians love to break rules and sadly, we do it with impunity. When someone stops to tell you what is right and what is wrong we ignore them or abuse them. Judge for your self.

Don't encourage animals to take feed from you...........

.....or they might just end up under the next speeding vehicle!

Forests are not studios...

.....nor are they a place to play hero!

They certainly aren't public toilets!

Who is more uncivilized, the forest beings or idiots like this?!

If you are wonder what wild creature they are photographing, just look at the above photo! That is the 'animal'!

Suddenly everyone spots this 'wildlife' after me.....................!!

More wild creatures, in Mudumalai

Picnic in a forest in unsafe and downright foolish!

Accommodation & Food
Most wild life sanctuaries have limited accommodation within the forest. They are mostly operated by the Government departments like Forest & Wildlife, Electricity boards, Irrigation departments and such. Accommodation is basic, with absolutely no luxuries including television, intercom, mobile networks and even sometimes no electricity, So if you are used to such luxuries, it is best to avoid such places. You may not get running water or even hot water for bathing.

Food is always simple fare that can be cooked easily. You have NO CHOICE. Some places expect you to carry your own provisions while the caretaker doubles up as cook. In any case, it is usually vegetarian fare that can be put together in a jiffy.

Of course if you stay in a luxury resort that is located outside the park boundaries things maybe a little different. They might provide more than just luxuries including Ayurvedic massage in case you are bored counting trees and plants!

Vehicle safaris into the forest
Once you are inside the forest keep in mind that you are entering the home of the denizens of the jungles. I refuse to call them 'wild animals' because I have felt that we humans are more wilder on many occasions. These creatures behave in a very civilized manner according to their species' hierarchy. Remember, these creatures are not out to get you, but when provoked, they might just decide to show you who is the boss!

Most sanctuaries have restrictions on the number of vehicles and timings of safaris. There are places where these safaris are conducted in forest department vehicles but in other places private vehicles are allowed with guide deputed by the authorities. The forest gates open early morning and close by around 9.00 AM. They reopen at 3.30 PM and close for the day at sunset. Which means we have permission to wander around for some 6 hours. The other 18 hours belong to the rightful owners of the forests.

When going on a safari or driving in a forest keep these points in mind.

1. Your naturalist, safari driver or guide is the person in charge. Listen to them always. 
2. Do not make noise during the trips. Small children are best left at home.
3. Wear earthly colours. Greens, browns, greys or darker colours. 
4. Don't make sudden movement and pop up like a jack-in-the-box at the sight of an animal.
5. Don't open the door or get off the vehicles. Animals rarely attack vehicles. 
6. Don't throw litter in the forest.You are endangering the animals.
7. Food and water will not be available in the forest. Carry adequate supplies but don't throw empty wrappers and bottles in the forest. 
8. When you see an animal or bird don't make noise or try to attract it's attention. 
9. Use your camera by all means but avoid flash photography. It irritates some animals.
10. Do NOT smoke. A carelessly thrown cigarette can destroy a whole ecosystem.

Sometimes there might be a small crisis....

.....but stay inside the vehicle at all times, unless instructed to get out.

Keep your hand inside or you might find it a costly loss!

This post is mainly for those of you who drive or get driven into forest areas. If you really want to experience the beauty of the wilderness, my suggestion is to exercise your feet. I mean, get off the vehicle and take a walk in the jungle. You can see from up close, the small things you'll miss while driving around. Having said that, I will also emphasize here that walking around wildlife sanctuaries is not something that you can do on a whim. There are rules to be followed and they vary according to the place you are visiting. Most wildlife sanctuaries and national parks that offer trekking packages put the details on their website. Wherever you chose to go, adhere to the basic guidelines for trekking. That will follow in my next post.

My Photographic Journey - Part 2: E-M1 visits Bandipur

The trip to Bandipur on December 20th did not really turn out the way I would have liked it to. In the first place I have never made a trip to Bandipur with time constraints. This was one. I had been able to book only one night and it seemed the wrong time. With a depression over the ocean and the weather had been looking ominous. Besides, I had the reputation of leading rain to Bandipur!

At the end of the trip we knew the weather had cheated us. Even the evening safari was unproductive. One solitary elephant and a small herd of gaur was unbecoming of Bandipur. The morning drive was a mere formality. It was extremely cold and misty so it was unreasonable to expect any animal or bird to stir out before the sun was high in the sky. If you love the jungle for what it offers you can't be disappointed. Every thing about Bandipur is beautiful.

The morning safari started with the news of a buffalo kill, the previous evening, at the Mangala reservoir. This reservoir on the eastern part of the tiger reserve abuts the farmlands surrounding Mangala village. It is not unusual for cattle to stray into the forest from the village and very often some of them fall victim to the tigers of Bandipur. So the expectations were high though I knew better. The formality of signing at the reception center was over and all the vehicles made a beeline for the reservoir.

Atop the Mangala dam at half past seven in the morning 

Nothing stirred as we lined up on the dam. The kill had obviously been dragged into the bushes and the tiger would be sleeping on a full belly.

The small pool of water was mirroring the mood of the skies on its glassy surface. It looked cold and uninviting. No tiger would want to soak itself today morning. The sun was probably debating whether to wake up or sleep on! 

Few of the other vehicles went down into the reservoir hoping to drive out the tiger from its hiding.

It seemed the herd of chital were amused by the arrival of the vehicle. They knew that a well fed predator was no threat to them and it would not be disturbed by its arrival.

After a while we were wondering why we were wasting our time waiting for the tiger which, obviously, was in no mood to oblige. Others were there much earlier than us and had not seen any movement.

For a brief moment we were all woken up from our thoughts by the excited chitals that suddenly started rushing off away from the edge of the water.

Something had spooked them they had bolted in panic.

Then just as quickly they settled down to graze again. Luck was not with us this cold morning. It was turning out to be a pointless waste of time.

Eventually we moved away too. It was bitterly cold and only a very hungry tiger or leopard would step out to hunt on this unpleasant morning. The morning trip never looked like it was going to throw up any excitement. After a futile two and a half hours, during which the only animals we encountered were a pair of stripe neck mongoose we returned to pack our bags.

This was my first trip into the wilderness after having laid my hands on the E-M1. It is the continuation of my previous post in part.  Not too many opportunities presented themselves but on the few occasion I could use it, it was exemplary. The body of the E-M1 has now replaced the E3 on the 300mm f2.8. 

It looks so tiny when compared to the E3 so I've got myself the HLD-7 battery grip for making her presence more obvious! My EC-20 2x teleconvertor, the one that is coma, has yet to return from her rejuvenation trip to Singapore. I was therefore dependent on the digital 2x convertor on the camera. 

The few shots of birds that I got have left me suitably impressed. It looks like this combination will be my birding gear for the foreseeable future. The 5-axis in body stabilization kicks in whenever you feel your hands swaying with the nearly 4 kilos I have to lift and handhold. 

All the following pictures are uncropped, tweaked a bit for light and resized. (Click on pictures to enlarge)

OM-D E-M1 with 300mm f2.8 @ 300mm (Aperture priority, f4, 1/1250 sec, ISO 400)

OM-D E-M1 with 300mm f2.8 @ 600mm (Aperture priority, f4, 1/1000 sec, ISO 400)

OM-D E-M1 with 300mm f2.8 @ 600mm (Aperture priority, f4, 1/1000 sec, ISO 400)

OM-D E-M1 with 300mm f2.8 @ 300mm (Aperture priority, f4, 1/800 sec, ISO 400)

OM-D E-M1 with 300mm f2.8 @ 600mm (Aperture priority, f4, 1/800 sec, ISO 400)

OM-D E-M1 with 300mm f2.8 @ 600mm (Aperture priority, f5, 1/100 sec, ISO 400)

OM-D E-M1 with 300mm f2.8 @ 600mm (Aperture priority, f2.8, 1/2000 sec, ISO 500)

OM-D E-M1 with 300mm f2.8 @ 600mm (Aperture priority, f2.8, 1/1600 sec, ISO 500)

OM-D E-M1 with 300mm f2.8 @ 600mm (Aperture priority, f2.8, 1/800 sec, ISO 400)

OM-D E-M1 with 300mm f2.8 @ 600mm (Aperture priority, f2.8, 1/800 sec, ISO 400)

OM-D E-M1 with 300mm f2.8 @ 600mm (Aperture priority, f3.2, 1/2500 sec, ISO 400)

OM-D E-M1 with 300mm f2.8 @ 600mm (Aperture priority, f3.2, 1/2500 sec, ISO 400)

OM-D E-M1 with 300mm f2.8 @ 600mm (Aperture priority, f3.2, 1/2500 sec, ISO 400)

OM-D E-M1 with 300mm f2.8 @ 600mm (Aperture priority, f3.2, 1/800 sec, ISO 500)

OM-D E-M1 with 300mm f2.8 @ 300mm (Aperture priority, f3.2, 1/500 sec, ISO 400)

OM-D E-M1 with 300mm f2.8 @ 600mm (Aperture priority, f3.2, 1/2000 sec, ISO 400)

It was a new toy I held in my hands and I'm yet to familiarize myself with the E-M1's nuances. There are more than a few differences and all the buttons have been shuffled around. It takes a bit of learning and with the E3 and E-M5 still fresh in my mind it will take another trip to get my fingers to move instinctively. 

I'm only wondering how it will behave when the EC-20 comes back. It had been a permanent attachment between the E3 and the 300mm f2,8. On the E-M1 it will have the MMF-3 adaptor between the body and the teleconvertor. On paper, it looks like a potential 1200mm but in the real world situation I wonder how the camera's focusing will be affected when targetting fast moving subjects. That is for later because I don't know when the TC will come back!

Meanwhile I'm looking forward to the next trip to Bandipur a couple of weeks from now. Will keep you posted on my experiences.